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Nunavut MP Lori Idlout says she still supports Senate amendments to Bill S-2 that would end the second-generation cut-off in the Indian Act even after crossing the floor to join the Liberals — the only party that opposes the bill. “ I am still very much committed to making sure that the Senate amendments remain,” Idlout told Nation to Nation host Fraser Needham in its upcoming episode. “Having just joined so recently, I’m still not sure how that process will work out, but I am eager to learn. I’m a worker and I will keep working to make sure that indigenous rights are being protected.” Idlout took part in the “End the Cut-Off” campaign and was sponsoring a parliamentary petition from First Nations supporting the Senate amendments to Bill S-2. The petition was launched less than a week ago and gathered roughly 4,500 signatures in its first four days. On March 10, Idlout announced she was leaving the NDP to join the Liberals — a move known as crossing the floor. The petition has continued to grow quickly despite her departure from the NDP and now has more than 6,000 signatures. Her decision to change parties has raised questions about what will happen to the petition and whether the signatures collected in support of the bill will still be presented to Parliament. Zoe Craig-Sparrow, vice president of Justice for Girls and one of the organizers of the End the Cut-Off campaign, told APTN News that Idlout’s decision to change parties came as “a complete surprise” to campaign organizers. Idlout’s move to join the Liberals also raised new questions about what will happen to the petition and to Bill S-2 — particularly the Senate amendments that would eliminate the second-generation cut-off. Idlout’s interview with APTN on Thursday that she still supports ending the second-generation cut-off through Bill S-2 is a position that makes her the only Liberal to publicly back the amendments. “ I’m hopeful because we actually didn’t hear a concrete ‘No,’” said Idlout. “But the approach they sounded like they were wanting to do was to have a consultation. So I think that we have to make sure that this government listens to the years of research and the years of work that’s already been done by Indigenous Peoples.” First Nation leaders support amendments But whether Parliament should pass legislation ending discrimination in the Indian Act now, or delay the process while the government conducts a longer consultation, is at the heart of the dispute between First Nations leaders and the Liberals. Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty, Cree, and Jaime Battiste, Mi’kmaw, the parliamentary secretary to the minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, have both said the consultations are separate from the bill currently before Parliament and would take place independently of the legislation. Dozens of First Nations chiefs and women’s organizations have already testified before the Senate, calling on Bill S-2 to end the second-generation cut-off now. Chiefs also passed a resolution supporting S-2 last December at a special chiefs’ assembly in Ottawa. Many have said they are willing to take part in consultations later on broader issues such as First Nations membership. Read FMore: ‘I can empathize’: Former Arctic MP says Idlout’s floor crossing a matter of efficiency Idlout’s floor crossing threatens Bill S-2, efforts to end the second-generation cut-off All opposition parties support changes to Indian Act status, Liberals say not yet So far, all four opposition parties, which currently outnumber the Liberals in the House of Commons, have sided with First Nations and supported the Senate amendments. Until recently, it appeared the bill would pass with those changes intact. However, the political dynamics around the bill have shifted. Part of that change comes from Idlout’s decision to cross the floor to the Liberals, which means they now hold 170 seats. They need 172 to secure a majority. It is predicted they will get the majority after three bi-elections are held on April 13. A second development occurred on March 10, when Parliament’s Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs (INAN) also postponed its study of S-2, which is now at second reading. A move observers say is unusual because government bills are usually given priority. If the Liberals do obtain a majority in April, and the bill has not passed, they would have the votes needed to amend S-2, meaning they can remove the amendments made by the Senate, which would eliminate the second-generation cut-off. Bill S-2 was originally introduced to comply with a court order and restore Indian status to roughly 6,000 people affected by discrimination in the Indian Act. But the Senate later amended the bill to go further, proposing to eliminate the second-generation cut-off — a rule that prevents some people with status from passing it on to their children if they have a child with a non-status partner. Advocates say the provision continues a long history of sex-based discrimination embedded in the Indian Act and should be removed now rather than forcing First Nations women to return to court again. If the Senate amendments survive and Bill S-2 passes with those changes intact, the second-generation cut-off would be removed from the Indian Act. A First Nations parent who has status would then be able to pass legal rights to their children, regardless of who they marry. Report an Error Tell us your Story Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Your Name *Your Email Address *Details *NameSubmit Report Tags: amendments, Bill S-2, Crown-Indigenous Relations, End the Cut-Off, INAN, Indian Status, Indigenous Services, Jaime Battiste, Justice for Girls, Liberals, Lori Idlout, Mandy Gull-Masty, NDP, Ottawa, Parltiament, second-generation cut off, Senate, Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs, Zoe Craig-Sparrow Author(s) Karyn Pugliese [email protected] More Stories Finding the Focus: Young archers and a Dawson official bri... 3 hours ago By Charlotte Morritt-Jacobs ‘I can empathize’: Former Arctic MP says Idlout’s fl... 19 hours ago By Emma Honeybun Idlout’s floor crossing threatens Bill S-2, efforts to ... 19 hours ago By Karyn Pugliese Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation chief says ‘a lot of dishonest... 22 hours ago By Leanne Sanders A decade after she went missing, RCMP renews calls for inf... 1 day ago By Creeson Agecoutay Nunavut MP Lori Idlout crosses floor from NDP to Liberals:... 2 days ago By APTN National News